Wire-drawing mechanism



Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,393

c. F. M EAD WIRE DRAWING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6. F. MEAD WIRE DRAWING uncnmxsu Filed Aug. 18, 1924' 2 Sheets-Sheet 0 I r WMA\\\\\\\\\\\ 1 1 T 12w z ,1, 0 I. 2 7 nw ma 0 KIL. W1 0 V //0$ h J a M u a W J u 1 m m M w I 7 5 a H Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,682,393 PATENT OFFICE.

CARL r. mum-or CLEVELAND, OHIO. I

WIRE-DRAWING MECHANISM.

Application filed August 18, 1924. Serial No. 732,723.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for drawing wire.

One object of the invention is to provide improved method and apparatus of this kind which practically eliminates or at least largely reduces breakage of the wire in starting the drawing operation, the improved effects being secured by starting the draw positively but at a relatively low linear speed properly proportioned to or in harmonious relation with the ability of the metal to start flowing and then gradually, but nevertheless positively increasing the linear speed up to the desired maximum and still in harmonious relationwit-h or properly proportioned to the ability of the metal to corn tinue to flow without breaking.

Another object of the invention is to provide means properly constructed and associated with the wire starting portion of the drawing drum so as not to interfere with its operation but which nevertheless is available for confining the coil as the turns of wire rise above the cylindrical drum portion, enabling coils to be formed of greater height than the usual cylindrical body portion of the drum.

Further objects of theinvention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter. I

In the drawings, which represent one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan'view'; Fig. Sis a detail elevation, on a'larger scale, illustrating the wire securing means; Fig. 4 is detail sectional elevation on the line 4- 4,

Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation. on a larger scale, on the line 5'5, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view on the line 6-6, Fig. 5-; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on the line 77, Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 isa detail sectional 1 plan View on'the line 88, Fig. 5.

In drawing wire, either. cold or hot, one of the most serious difficulties encountered is the liabilityof the wire to break during the starting operation or in accelerating'the drawing speed up to the maximum. The starting end of the wire tobe drawn is re duced by swaging Or otherwise to enable it to be threaded through the solid die block from which it is led to either the gripping v tongs'or drawing drum. As thelatter starts to rotate, resistance is first encountered when the larger diameter of the unreduced portionof the'wire begins to pass through the die block. At this. instant the ability of the metal to start flowing and thereby be reduced in size to the size of die opening and pass therethrough may be said to be ata minimum, 'sothat if the starting speed is too great the wire is snapped off or broken at the die block or elsewhere. It is, therefore, necessary to start the wire slowly and increase its speed. 7

I have discovered that a large proportion, if not all, of breakages can be eliminated without sacrificing a positive drawingeffect by starting the wire at a relatively very low speed with an immediate gradual increase in speed and subsequently gradually increasing the speed positively up to the necessary maximum, both the starting speed and the acceleration up to the maximum being properly proportioned to or in harmonized relation with the ability of the metal to start and continue to flow.' Success of theinvention may be due to a gradual increasing ability of the metal to flow as its speed is gradually increased and as the die block is heatedup by the wire passing therethrough but,in any event, it"is found that linear speeds of 600 or more feet per minute readily may be reached without breakage and by positive drawing means. 2

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable frame provided with bearings 2 in which rotates a vertical shaft orspindle 3 driven throughthe gears'a, 5 from a shaft 6. On thevertical shaft 8 is keyed one member 7 of a dental clutch, the other member .of which,bearing the clutch teeth 8, is on the lower surface of the drawing drum 9 having a bottom flange 10 and a side wall tapering slightly toward the top and pro vided' with recesses 11 for use in removing the finish'edcoil. The drum is loosely rotatable on shaft 3 and is also capable of longitudi-na'l motion thereon to couple or uncouple the clutch 7, 8. It is supported in its upper or uncoupled position, shown in Fig. 5, by rollers 12' carried by the arms 13 of a yoke 14 having pivots 15 in the frame and an arm 16 of which is provided with pins 1.? entering elongated slots 18 in the bifurcated arm 19 of-a lever pivoted at 20 in the frame'and having an operating handle 21 engaging notches in a segment 22 on the frame and capable of being moved to' either of two positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5 respectively. Figfl illustrates the "clutch coupled and Fig. '5' illustrates said clutch uncoupled. f

23 indicates generally the usual hinged mounting for the die block 2 through which the wire is led for the drawing operation.

For the purposes of this invention I provide the drum 8 with a wire starting device,

shown as a generally conical member ating in synchronism or with proper relation to the drum. Driving coupling or connection between members 9 and 25 in the first case may for example be effected by intorengaging lugs 25 thereon. The drum also carries the wire holding or coil contining hooks29 which are provided with noncircular or square shanks 30 loosely fitting round openings 30Tin the wall of the drum and passing through more closely fitting radial slots 32 in the cone 25. Said hooks are provided with outwardly extending arms 31 extending beyond the drum periphery, as shown in Fig. 4. Several of these hooks, four being shown in the drawings,

' are spaced at intervals around the drum and are loosely dropped into place in their respective openings and rise with the wire, but retain it in coil form during the drawing operation. The loose fit in the openings 3O permits the hooks to rise freely while the close fitting slots 32 prevent them from turning. r

The upper cylindrical portion of the wire starting member 25 is utilized as a means for securing the free end of'the wire to be drawn thereto, although adrawing chain or cable and tongs. may be utilized, as is customary. In this arrangement the cylindrical portion 26 is provided with a vertical channel or recess 38 opening at its bottom around a curved shoulder 3linto an annular recess below said shoulder and at the upper end of the intermediate cone 27 (see Fig. 3). Drum 9 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1. A suitable portion of the starting end of the wire to be drawn is first reduced by swaging or otherwise, as is usual, to a size enabling it to be threaded through the die block and led to the drawing drum. The free end of thewire to be drawn is laid in the recess 33 and is bent laterally at the bottom of said recess to the left in Fig. 3 and is wound around the annular recess 35. A hollow sleeve 36 is then dropped over the cylinder and the end of the wire exposed above the same is hammered or bent laterally, as in Fig. 1 to lock it in place.

The foregoing attachment of the wire to the drum is, of course, effected while the drum is in its upper non-rotative position,

shown in Fig. 0, it being understood that the driving mechanism to and including clutch member 7 rotates continuously. Operatinghandle 21 is now moved from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 1, allowing the drum 9 and cone 28 to drop to coupled or driving position. When the clutch is coupled the drum and cone immediately begin to rotate at their maximum speed, which is nev rvaried during a drawing operation and depends upon the fixed or selected speed of the driving mechanism, to wit, shaft 6 and its driver. At the begin ning of the drawing operation the wire extends from the annular groove directly to the die block and is hence inclined clownwardly away from the channel 35. Therefore, as the drum and cone rotate the wire is led into and seats itself in the firstof several turns of a spiral channel or groove 38 running down along the upper steep portion 27 of the cone. The diameter of the coil being formed therefore, increases gradually as the wire is led down the steep cone and the linear speed of movement of the wire through the die block increases correspondingly. Next, the wire reaches the more gradual conical portion 25 and is laid alongside of a spiral rib or projection 39 there on with continued gradually increasing linear speed of the wire, until finally the wire passes off from the end of the rib 39 and on to the body of the cylinder or drum 9. its it passes upon the drum 9 the wire, of course, passes under one of the hook arms 31. The position of the wire is still inclined, as shown in F igi 1, down across the cylinder and over the annular flange 10 at the bottom thereof. As a consequence, successive turns of the wire are formed above flange 10 upon the drum. underneath each other, the coils or turns as formed being pushed upwardly on the drum and rising toward its top and raising the arms 31, as shown in Fig. at. In this manner a complete coil is formed upon the drum and is removed therefrom by unfastening the starting end and lifting it off as is usual.

The drawing operation is begun at a relatively quite low speed due to the small di ameter or the cylindrlcal top portion of the cone. At this low speed it is possible to produce sufficient flow of the metal to pullthrough the die block the first portion of the wire which is larger than the opening in the die block, and thereby actually starting the drawingroperation. Having once started the metal to flowing its ability to flow increases and it is therefore possible to gradually increase its speed. This is effected by the several turns of the recess in the steep cone 2''? which produce a quite gradual increase in the linear drawing,

speed. speed is to still further increase the ability Finally the effect of this increase in maximum speed when the periphery of the drum itself is reached. During the entire drawing operation the effect upon the wire is positive and not through frictional or other yielding driving devices. Moreover, the gradual increase of the drawing speed in starting according to the ability of the metal to flow isentirely automatic without any necessity of manual or otheradjustment by the operator so that the machine and wire are safeguarded against improper machine operation. The final result is that for any given reduction in cross section wire may be safely drawn at drawing speed greater than heretofore practiced in the art with a considerable increase in production and without material loss due to wire breakage, all due to the ability to safely pass the starting period without wire breakage. The apparatus is adaptable to drawing machines now in use and is durable and without mechanical complications likely to get out of order.

. Usually the parts are so proportioned and arranged that the total length of wire laid in the grooves 35 and 38 and alongside rib 39 is equal to or greater than the. circumference of the drum 9. In other words, the total length of wire drawn through the die during starting and acceleration is nearly equal to and sometimes is greater than the length of a turn around the drum. This produces a more gradual and'even ecceleration that where full speed is reached over a shorter length ofthe wire.

WVhat I claim is: g

1. ire drawing apparatus, comprising a drawing drum, means for positively rotating the same at definite speed, and a rotat able wire starting member provided with a conical portlon, parts of which are inclined at difi'erent pitches and around which the wire is led to the drum periphery.

2. WVire drawing apparatus, comprising a drawing drum, means for positively rotating the same at definite speed, and a rotatable wire starting member including a channeled cone along which the Wire is led and having a cylindrical portion at its apex provided with a longitudinal channel communicating with the cone channel, and a surrounding wire clamping sleeve for said cylindrical portion. 3. A wire drawing drum, of the type in which the wire is fed from an upper starting device downwardly along the drum to a shoulder at bottom and upon whichdrum the wire coils rise from said shoulder as the winding operation proceecs, said drum being provided at intervals around its periphery with coil confining hook members normally held in their lower position by gravity to permit the wire to be led downwardly to said shoulder, said members being. movably related to the drum and adapted to be lifted above the same by the rising coils of wire as the winding operation proceeds. 1

ire drawing apparatus, comprising a wire drawing drum, a I generally conical wire starting member provided with a spiral wire receiving shoulder, and'means for securing the wire, including a member located at the apex of the cone and provided with a wire receiving channel adjacent the leading end of said spiral shoulder and extending substantially normal thereto.

5. WVire drawing apparatus, comprising a wire drawing drum, a generally conical wire starting member provided with a spiral Wire receiving shoulder, and means for securin the wire, including a substantially cylincrical member co-aXial with the drum and located near the apex of the cone and provided adjacent the leading end of said spiral shoulder with a wire receiving channel parallel to its axis.

6. A wire drawing drum provided with an upper conical wire starting portion and a bottom shoulder from which the coils of wire rise as the winding operation proceeds, said drum being provided at intervals about its periphery with coil confining hook members normally out of the path of the wire as it is led ownwardly along the starting portion to the drum, said hook members signature.

CARL F. MEAD. 

